New date awaited for SMART-1 launch

Arianespace has announced that the Ariane-5 launch, with SMART-1 and two commercial satellites on board, is postponed. A new launch date is expected to be announced soon.

ESA officials stated that the Ariane-5 launcher and the SMART-1 spacecraft are in perfect shape, ready for the new launch date.

ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft, Europe’s first probe to the Moon, will take around 16 months to reach its destination where it is expected to carry out a number of unprecedented studies of the Moon, and demonstrate innovate and key technologies for future deep space science missions.